Police search Karmapa secretary's residence

Jan 30, 2011

Category: Police Raid Jan 2011

Widening the ambit of the probe in connection with the recovery of huge foreign currency in the Karmapa's transit home, police and security agencies on Saturday quizzed his secretary for hours and searched the aide's residence and office, besides that of a local businessman.

ADGP (Law and Order) S.R. Mardi said foreign currency was recovered in the raids but Gompu Tshering was not arrested. Police also raided the residence of Dharamsala-based businessman K.C. Bharadwaj but nothing incriminating was found.

Mr. Mardi said Karmapa Ugyen Trinley Dorje was not quizzed but only asked about the source of the money. But he said he was not aware of it, Mr. Mardi added. However, his spokesperson asserted that it was money received through offerings and donations and not illegal money.

Police had recovered foreign currency equivalent to Rs. 7 crore during raids on the trust backed by Karmapa and arrested the main accountant Shakti Lama.

DGP D.S. Minhas said investigations by various agencies were in progress and the Karmapa was neither under arrest or house arrest. The government had already imposed some restrictions on him and he has to seek the permission of the government for going out, he said.

Asked about the source of money recovered so far, Mr. Minhas said the bank accounts of the persons concerned were being checked but it looked improbable that such huge sums were offerings by devotees.

So far only three persons, Ahsutosh and Sanjay Dutt, who were allegedly carrying Rs. 1 crore in cash and intercepted on the Una border on January 26, and Shakti Lama have been arrested.

Karmapa sneaked into India and reached Dharamsala in 2000 under mysterious circumstances. He was made to stay at Gyuto Monastery at Sidhbari near Dharamsala and provided security. He was recognised as Karmapa by the Dalai Lama a few years ago but the recovery of foreign currency, including Chinese, has raised doubts about his Chinese connections.